Attachment plug receptacle



Dier. 16, 1934.

A. H. NERO ATTACHMENT PLUG RECEPTAGLE Filed Sept. 19. 1951 INVENTOR ARVID H. NERO 3y 712:5 aZZarnej/ Patented Oct. 16, 1934 UNITED STATES ATTACHMENT PLUG RECEPTACLE Arvid H. Nero, West Hartford, Conn. assignor to The Arrow-Hart & Hegeman Electric Company, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of Connecticut Application September 19, 1931, Serial No. 563,812

1 Claim.

This invention relates to attachment plug receptacles. More particularly it relates to attachment plug receptacles which have a plurality of outlets, :for example duplex receptacles.

One of the many instances of the utility of this device is in a kitchen where an electric refrigerator and an electric iron are to derive current through the same receptacle. If both outlets were fed from the same branch circuit of the power system that circuit might, when both the refrigerator and iron were drawing current, become overloaded. When the outlets are fed separately, that is by different branch circuits, the difculty of overloading is removed.

It is an object of this invention to provide a simple and inexpensive insulating barrier between the wire terminals of the contacts at each end of the duplex receptacle, so that each outlet may be fed separately.

Another object is to provide a simple and inexpensive construction for an attachment plug receptacle, of the above type.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will appear as it is described in connection with the accompanying drawing.

Fig. l is a bottom view of the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side view of the invention.

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of a pair of contacts and the barrier for insulating said contacts usable in the improved receptacle.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section View of the invention taken on line 1r-4 of Fig. 1.

Referring toy the drawing, the invention is shown in connection with a duplex receptacle having a hollow casing 10 in which are housed stamped sheet metal current carrying members 12 which have contact portions 14 and wire terminals 16. The metallic members of each outlet are mutually insulated by a spine 13 running longitudinally up the middle of the casing 10. As shown, the contact portions of the metallic mempers 12 are preferably formed by bending the metallic members at right angles, inwardly ofthe receptacle, and then reversely bending the end portions of the members into a U-formation. Contact iingers 18 project from the edge of the contact portions 14, toward the front of the receptacle, so as to be engageable by the prongs (not shown) of a conventional attachment plug cap when the prongs are passed through the conventional T-slots in the front of the receptacle, (the bottom as seen in Fig. 1) For securing the feed wires to the receptacle, conventional binding screws are threaded into apertures in the wire terminals 16.

Located between and insulating each pair of wire terminals are plates or barriers 30 of sheet insulation or molded insulating material. These barriers extend perpendicularly to the wire terminals and are held between the wire terminals by reason of the peripheries'of slots 32, cut in the front edges of the barriers, engaging with the side walls 34 of the receptacle. The rear or bottom edge of each barrier is recessed to accommodate a conventional rear `cover plate 36 oi insulating material which supports the metallic members 12 in a well known manner, and also supports the barriers 30 in a novel manner. The cover plate 36 is held to the receptacle body 10 by the supporting strap 40 and central rivet 42 as usual.

The barriers 30 preferably extend forward from the rear cover plate only as far as the deck 44 at the center of the receptacle, so as not to interfere with the attachment of a conventional ush plate (not shown) to the receptacle.

The barriers 30 are held in position perpendicular to the wire terminals by virtue of the front portions 38 of the terminals being bent at an angle of approximately 45 to the plane of the terminals. Thus the neighboring edges of the terminals while lying against the barriers 30 hold them perpendicular, while the slots 32 and cover plate 36 hold the barriers to the receptacle casing 10.

'Ihus it will be apparent that I have provided a simpleand inexpensive means of insulating the wire terminals of a duplex receptacle so as to permit the receptacle to receive current through separate feeds.

Many variations within the scope of this invention will occur to those skilled in the art, therefore I do not limit myself to the exact form of the invention as shown.

I claimt- In an attachment plug receptacle having a plurality of outlets, metallic members on the same side of the receptacle having contact portions and wire terminals, an insulating barrier between said wire terminals, said barrier having a slot whose periphery engages with the wall of said receptacle, said wire terminals having inclined portions engaging with said barrier, in combination with a rear cover plate, and means to secure said cover plate to said receptacle, said cover plate, inclined portions and slot all co-operating to hold said barrier in position between and perpendicular to said wire terminals. Y ARVID I-I. NERO. 

